The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel
Ezekiel 30
Chapter XXX · Vol. III, pp. 1353–1354
1 The desolation of Egypt and her helpers. 20 The arm of Babylon shall be strengthened to break the arm of Egypt.
1 The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,
3 For the bday is near, even the day of the LORD is near, a ccloudy day;2 it shall be dthe time of the heathen.
A.M. cir. 3416 or 3432. B.C. cir. 588 or 572.
b Joel 2.1. ch.7.7,12. Zep.1.7. Ps.37.13. Re.6.17.
c ver.18; ch.32.7; 34.12. Joel 2.2. Am.5.18.
2 A cloudy day, in relation to Egypt and her heathen allies, signifies a day of trouble and discomfiture, by reference to the overthrow at the Red Sea, Ex. 14. 24.—C.
d ver.4,5; ch.22.3; 7.7,12. Je.25.15. Is.34.2; 13.6,11. Zep.3.6-8. Joel 3.11,12. Ps.110.6.
4 And the sword shall come upon Egypt, and great pain3 shall be in Ethiopia, when the slain shall fall in Egypt, and they eshall take away her multitude, and her gfoundations4 shall be broken down.
3 Or, fear, Ps.48.6, see ver.5,9.
e See ch.29.8-12,19; ver.6-18,22-25.
4 See note * below.
* No land has ever exhibited such gigantic architecture as Egypt. The reference, therefore, to the destruction of 'her foundations,' has a peculiar emphasis. She believed her political institutions and power, like her pyramids, temples, obelisks, and statues, would abide through all ages; but God has overturned them from their deepest foundations—not even a ruin of her wise institutions or power remains. The record and the prophecy alone abide God's witnesses to the solemn fact, that national sins will sooner or later bring on national judgment and destruction.—C.
5 Ethiopia,h and Libya,5 and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and Chub, and the men6 of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword.
6 Thus saith the LORD, They also ithat uphold Egypt shall fall, and the pride of her power shall come down: from the tower of Syene7 shall they fall in it by the sword, saith the Lord GOD.
7 And jthey shall be desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate, and her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are wasted.
j ch.29.8-12; xxxii. Je.25.18-25; xlvi.-li. ch.xxv.-xxviii. xxxv.
8 And kthey shall know that I am the LORD, when I have lset a fire in Egypt, and when all her helpers shall be destroyed.8
9 In that day shall messengers9 go forth from me in ships,1 to make the ncareless Ethiopians afraid, and ogreat pain shall come upon them, as in the day of Egypt: for, lo, it cometh.
9 Many shall flee out of Egypt, up the Nile, or by the Red Sea, to escape the sword, and shall thus involuntarily become God's messengers to the careless Ethiopians.—C.
1 Or, to the people in the wilderness, Is.23.13. Ps.72.9; 74.14. Is.18.1,2; 20.3,4. Zep.2.12,15. ver.5,9.
n Is.32.9-11.
o ver.4. Ps.48.6. 1 Th.5.2,3. ch.24.16; 32.9,10; 27.35. Is.19.17; 23.5. De.32.41,42. Mal.4.1. Je.49.12,21.
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD, pI will also make the multitude of Egypt to cease by the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon.
p See ch.29.8-12,18; ver.11,24,25; ch.31.12; 32.3-6,10-14.
11 He and his people with him, the qterrible of the nations, shall be brought to destroy the land: and they shall draw their swords against Egypt, and fill the land with the slain.
q ch.7.24; 28.7; 31.12; 32.12. Hab.1.6-9. Is.14.4-6. Je.51.7,20-23. Re.19.18.
12 And I will make the rivers 2dry,3 and sellr the land into the hand of the wicked; and I will make the land waste, and all that is therein,4 by the hand of strangers: I the LORD have spoken it.
2 Heb. drought, ch.29.3. Is.19.4-6. Je.50.38; 51.36. Re.16.9-12.
3 The fertility of Egypt depended entirely upon the Nile; but the natural means of irrigation were vastly increased by artificial reservoirs, sluices, and canals. Of these the principal part are still literally 'dry.'—C.
r ch.7.24. De.32.30. Ju.2.14; 4.9. ch.29.21; ver.10,11.
4 Heb. the fulness thereof.
13 Thus saith the Lord GOD, I will also sdestroy the idols, and I will cause their images5 to cease out of 6Noph;7 and tthere shall be no more a prince of the land of Egypt: and I uwill put a fear in the land of Egypt.
s Zec.13.2. Is.19.1. Je.43.12; 46.25. Ex.12.12. Is.45.20.
5 Heb. no things, 1 Co.8.4.
6 Or, Memphis, Is.19.13. Je.2.16; 44.1; 46.14. Ho.9.6.
7 See note † in second column.
t ch.29.14,15. Zec.10.11.
† Noph, now Grand Cairo, possessed by the Mahommedans, the most decided enemies of images and image worship. How striking the coincidence of the fact and the prophecy! A few years since a splendid table service of plate was ordered in London by Mehemet Ali the ruler of Egypt; and why—inquired the visitant to whom they were shown—why are the ornaments so few and so uniform? They must contain nothing that represents life—was the reply—as that would be reckoned an image.—C.
14 And I will make vPathros desolate, and will set fire in Zoan,8 and will execute judgments in No.9
8 Or, Tanis, Nu.13.22. Ps.78.12,43.
9 No, the modern Alexandria, according to Poole, but others identify it with Thebes.—C.
v See ch.29.14.
15 And I will xpour my fury upon Sin,1 the strength of Egypt; and I will cut off the multitude of No.2
16 And I will yset fire in Egypt: Sin shall have zgreat pain, and No shall be rent asunder, and Noph shall have distresses daily.
17 The young men of Aven3 and of 4Pi-beseth shall fall by the sword: and these cities ashall go into captivity.
18 At Tehaphnehes5 also the day shall be darkened,6 when I shall break there the byokes7 of Egypt; and the cpomp of her strength shall cease in her: as for her, da cloud shall cover her, and her daughters shall ego into captivity.
5 Or, Daphnæ Pelusiacæ, Je.43.7-9; 46.14; 2.16.
6 Or, restrained.
b ch.34.27. Is.9.4; 14.25; 10.27. Je.27.3-8. Le.26.13. Je.2.20.
7 When her yokes of bondage on the necks of her slaves shall be broken by the invader, and she herself shall in turn become a slave.—C.
c ch.31.18; 32.1-16. Je.46.14-25.
d See ver.3.
e ch.29.12; ver.17,23,26.
20 And it came to pass in the heleventh year,8 in the first month, in the seventh day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
21 Son of man, iI have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and, lo, jit shall not be bound up to be healed, to put a roller to bind it, to make it strong to hold the sword.
22 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and will kbreak his arms, the lstrong, and nthat which was broken; and oI will cause the sword to fall out of his hand.
23 Andp I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries.
p Je.46.19. ver.17,18,26; ch.29.12,13.
24 Andq I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and rput my sword in his hand: but I will break Pharaoh's arms, and he sshall groan before him with the groanings of a deadly wounded man.
Notes
Reflections.—The day of God's just judgment, however slow, comes certainly at last. And they who will help his enemies must take their destruction along with them. God ordinarily makes one wicked person or nation his scourge to another; easily he can alarm the most distant or secure. And the fall of sinners ought to alarm their survivors. If we refuse to glorify him by obedience, he will take care to glorify himself in our destruction. And if lesser judgments will not humble and reform us, he will bring on more severe ones. He keeps nations in perpetual variation. Nothing is unchangeable but himself. But they who are most elevated in their prosperity are often most dispirited in their adversity. And no conquerors, no armies, have any power at all but what is given them from above.